1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat dissipating devices, and particularly to a heat dissipating assembly incorporating an air guide device for enhancing an efficiency of heat dissipation.
2. Related Art
During operation of a computer, heat is generated by the electrical components thereof, especially by electronic packages such as central processing units (CPUs). High-speed processing of signals by a CPU results in a correspondingly high amount of heat being generated. Thus, cooling of CPUs is an important consideration in designing computers. Generally, a heat sink and a fan are used to dissipate heat generated by the CPU. The heat is radiated by the heat sink to ambient air, and heated air is conveyed by the fan to an exterior of the computer via an air opening. However, heated air often cannot freely flow out of the computer through the air opening. After the computer has operated for a period of time, a large amount of heated air may accumulate within the computer. This can lead to instability or even failure of the CPU and other electrical components inside the computer.
TW patent publications Nos. 288627 and 352172 each disclose a heat dissipation assembly for overcoming the above-mentioned problems. Each heat dissipation assembly comprises a heat sink module and a ducting means. One end of the ducting means is attached to an air opening of the computer, and an opposite end of the ducting means is attached to the heat sink module by screws or hooking means. Heat is dissipated by the heat sink and blown out of the computer through the ducting means.
However, during assembly and disassembly of the computer, the ducting means must be respectively attached to and removed from the heat sink module. This is unduly cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, each ducting means is sized such that it can only be used with one type of heat sink module. That is, heat sink modules of varying sizes each require individual ducting means having correspondingly varying sizes.
Thus an improved heat dissipating assembly for electronic packages which overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipating assembly which comprises an air guide device for efficiently cooling an electronic package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipating assembly incorporating an air guide device which is easy to assemble and disassemble.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a heat dissipating assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat sink module mounted on an electronic package, and an air guide device adapted for communication with an air opening of a computer enclosure. The heat sink module comprises a heat sink, and a fan mounted on the heat sink. The air guide device comprises a duct attached to the enclosure at the air opening, and a hood. The hood has a connection portion adjustably connected to the duct, and a cover portion extending from an end of the connection portion. The duct defines a plurality of annular grooves in an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the connection portion of the hood forms a plurality of protrusions on an inner surface thereof. The protrusions are engaged in selected annular grooves, to retain the hood on the duct at a desired position. The cover portion of the hood is near to and aligned with the fan. Heated air blown by the fan passes directly through the duct and out of the enclosure. Alternatively, the fan may instead be attached to the enclosure at the air opening. In such an arrangement, the fan blows cooling air from outside the enclosure to the heat sink via the air guide device.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the duct defines a plurality of annular grooves in an inner surface thereof, and the connection portion of the hood comprises a plurality of protrusions formed on an outer surface thereof. The protrusions are engaged in selected annular grooves to retain the hood on the duct at a desired position.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which: